


nicotine is just a coping mechanism for an underlying issue

by WoozleBucket



Series: Sugar Pine 7 Drabbles [12]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF, Sugar Pine 7 RPF
Genre: Addiction, Canonical Character Death, No Romance, Spoilers, Unrequited Crush, Vaping my dudes, if you haven't seen the show watch it already jesus fucking christ, mostly - Freeform, nicotine addiction, unless you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-29 12:06:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12630723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WoozleBucket/pseuds/WoozleBucket
Summary: "Cib has figured out that he needs to dig with the blade, so he’s turned the shovel around. Now that they’re finally getting somewhere, Steven is itching to get out of there and back to his house. His lemons don’t smell like death. He looks longingly at the vape poking out of Cib’s pocket, not that he needs it."





	nicotine is just a coping mechanism for an underlying issue

**Author's Note:**

> While on hiatus from my blog, I found this gem just chilling, unnoticed, and was like "whoah dude gotta stick this here". So I did. 
> 
> -
> 
> Takes place in canon, as you could probably guess. Whee. Parker's McFucking Dead, ya'll.

Burying a dead body has an effect on a person. That’s easy enough. Burying the dead body of one of your best friends is another thing altogether. 

Cib digs the handle of the shovel into the ground with a light grunt. Steven anxiously taps his foot and glances back at the door, expecting Jeremy to come running out with an ax or something. Parker’s body lies in the bushes, but neither of them is looking at it. Frankly speaking, it’s just plain yucky. And, yes, it does smell like years-old McDonald’s. 

Steven pulls Cib’s vape out of his pocket and takes a drag. It’s great now that he doesn’t puke every time he uses it, but it isn’t an addiction. It’s a coping mechanism. 

Cib perks his head up at the sudden smoke and grins, reaching for his vape. “Thanks, bro!”

How is he so damn happy? He’s literally burying a body, the body of a friend, the body of someone that he had killed. 

_It’s a coping mechanism._

-

“You’ve got the money, right?”

Parker backs up and slams the door shut in Steven’s face. What an asshole. 

“Try again, but nicer!” Parker says from the other side of the door. 

“Fuck no,” Steven says. “Now give me the money.”

Parker slowly opens the door. Just a few minutes later, Steven has his head under the running water. Cib and Jeremy are laughing in the background, and Steven doesn’t feel bad about it at all. After all, it is just Parker. 

-

The body doesn’t look like Parker. It looks like a cheap jumpscare you’d find at a middle school haunted house. It looks like a weird, even more damaged version of Alfredo.

Cib has figured out that he needs to dig with the blade, so he’s turned the shovel around. Now that they’re finally getting somewhere, Steven is itching to get out of there and back to his house. His lemons don’t smell like death. He looks longingly at the vape poking out of Cib’s pocket, not that he needs it. 

Cib catches his gaze and wiggles his eyebrows with a smile. “You like what you see, big boy?”

No, Steven doesn’t. 

“No, I don’t,” Steven answers. “And please stop doing that.”

Cib jabs the blade into the ground. “Doing what?”

“Just, uh, nothing. Nevermind,” Steven says, glancing back at the door. Maybe Jeremy will have a machete.

-

“I’m Steven Suptic,” Parker smiles.

“No, please, uh, don’t do that,” Steven says, wrinkling his nose. That doesn’t sound anything like him.

Parker’s smile drops, and he ducks his head. 

“Can we just get back to the movie?” Steven asks. They’re watching _Schindler’s List_ for some ungodly reason, probably for the same reason that Parker had decided that he’s staying the night.

“‘Can we just get back to the movie?’” Parker quietly mimics. Steven rolls his eyes. Really, what is he trying to do?

-

Steven doesn’t touch the body as it is lowered into the hole. Actually, it’s dropped into the hole, squirting some juice onto the bottom of Cib’s shirt. They both look into the hole, at Parker, and Cib takes a long drag from the vape. It’s the fifth one in as many minutes.

“Well,” Cib coughs. “that’s done.”

“Yep,” Steven agrees. His hand is reaching for the vape, something he doesn’t remember doing. It’s a coping mechanism, not an addiction. 

Cib passes him the vape and says. “Dude, I’m fucking starving. Ya think Jeremy’s got anything?”

“I dunno,” Steven says. He watches the smoke rise into the air. “What happened to those cookies?”

“I think Jeremy stole ‘em.”

“Jeremy’s asleep.”

“So’m I, but you don’t see me sleeping on the job!”

-

Alfredo follows them around the mall, constantly tripping Parker. Every time Parker stumbles, Alfredo giggles like the madman he is. Steven couldn’t be more proud of his little boy.

“Champion!” Alfredo calls. Nevermind.

“Don’t call me that,” Steven sighs. Parker stifles a giggle, but, like he does with most things in life, he fails miserably.

Alfredo narrows his eyes and hisses, “Watch your mouth, you dirty girl. I know what you did last night!”

Parker shuffles so that he’s hiding behind Steven. 

“Alfredo, Parker isn’t a girl,” Steven sighs, shaking his head. 

“He is loving one,” Alfredo says. “Just like I love you!”

“Jordan,” Steven reminds. Alfredo’s many eyes light up and he starts rambling about how wonderful Jordan is. Parker had done the same about Sami Jo the whole way over. It’s sad, really.

-

Steven and Cib are vaping under a tree next to an unmarked grave. His hand is gripping Cib’s vape tightly like it’s a lifeline, which it isn’t. It really isn’t. It’s just temporary, nothing to think about for too long. Unless it is. But it isn’t, it really isn’t.

“Hey,” Steven says. “How did, uh, how did you know that you were addicted? Like, to nicotine?”

“I dunno, dude,” Cib shrugs, grabbing the vape back. “I was just-” he coughs. “I was just born with it.”

Steven looks down at the fresh pile of dirt, his hand already reaching for the vape. Yeah, okay, this is an addiction. 

“Can we get IHOP?” Cib asks. “I’m fucking starving, dude.”

“This isn’t a bit, right?” Steven asks, already knowing the answer. The camera has been sitting by the door, off, the whole time.

“What?” Cib asks, shocked. “Of course not! I don’t do bits anymore, Steve! I’m a changed man!”

“Yeah,” Steven says, looking back at the grave. “Yeah, you are.”

**Author's Note:**

> I am on a brief hiatus, but you can find me _@ohnomypeas_ on Tumblr. I post my shitty-ass writing there (PROMPTS ARE OPEN BTW), as well as some quality-ass gifs and pics. Also, 'The Woods' is out and I may be putting some shit there in the future.


End file.
